


Vengeance

by skyoung200



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Angst, M/M, Murder, Suicide, hardcore angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:15:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29708736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyoung200/pseuds/skyoung200
Summary: A not so happy ending in which Laurent just can't let it go.
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	Vengeance

**Author's Note:**

> TW: SUICIDE MURDER! Please take care if you're going to read this! This was inspired by a tiktok writing prompt and fueled by a friend on an amino page. Very Sad!

Laurent stood over their bed, hands trembling at his sides, loosely clutching a dagger. The open balcony door let in the strong summer breeze, the type to come as a storm rolls in, the gauzy white curtains whisping past his ankles. His hair moved too, nearly down to his lower back, longer than it had ever been under the care of his lover. Naked as can be from a night of slow love making. His mind was surprisingly silent now, a contrast to the previous year. His thoughts had been spiraling for so long it was a moment of peace he treasured. Focused on the sound of the falling of rain.

He had thought their love would be enough. Had felt thoroughly swept off his feet by this man who compared to no other for so many reasons, good and bad. Taking their countries back, both being crowned, married, adventuring in the countryside saving lives. He thought it would be enough. A year had passed, all this and more having filled his life with more light and warmth than he knew existed.

But the cracks in his heart ran too deep, too dark. The love could only heal so much. It healed the shattered places his uncle had left. It healed years of isolation in a court bid against him. It healed the fear fighting for his life so long caused. But the place where his brother belonged, where he had been ripped from Laurent’s life, still stood empty, cracked, rotting.

The rot spread.

He didn’t think he could be truly angry anymore. No, Damen had made sure he could never truly feel the hot-blooded rage he had when he’d first seen Damen in the flesh anymore. But he still had anger. Pissed Damen hadn’t tried something other than violence once his brother showed honor in their duel. Mad that Damen hadn’t stopped to think what this would do to a brother, despite loving his own fiercely. Angry at himself for not being strong enough then to take up a sword and fight back.

Then there was the guilt. He spent hours trapped in his own mind, wondering what his brother would think. What he would think of his little brother in the bed of his killer. Laurent knew deep in his soul had Damen ever had the chance to court Laurent properly, Auguste would have accepted him. Would have come around to liking him when he treated Laurent with all the respect and love he deserved. But that’s not what happened. Laurent spent hours trying to recall every moment of Auguste’s anger and heat, wondering if he would have turned it against the man who ended his life. He wracked his brain feeling the guilt for loving Damen grow and grow.

All this grief and anger only worsened as he watched as Damen did so many things with kindness and grace now. Watched as he learned to create peace and choose talks over duels more and more as he settled into his place on the throne. Watched as he learned to grieve the lost closeness with his brother. Saw him lose the resentment, any guilt, heal from his own past with Laurent’s love. God did Laurent resent he only choose peace now; angry Damen hadn’t seen this strength in himself years ago when Laurent needed him to have it. Resented his ability to move on and continue being happy. Laurent hated himself for feeling Damen’s love wasn’t enough, feeling at the same time like he could never return the same intensity Damen gave.

He couldn’t blame Damen for not having noticed. Laurent has spent too long hiding himself, then learning every bit of Damen, to not know in some way how to continue hiding himself. To be fair he hadn’t even realized how far the rot had spread until they visited the field where Auguste fell. He thought he would walk across that green empty stretch of land and feel closure to his year of never-ending anger grief. That a gust of wind would be sent from his brother that would soothe his soul and end his suffering. Some other worldly supernatural sign would tell him his love for Damen would be enough. He didn’t need what he spent so many years craving.

It didn’t come.

The day was still, sun peaking through the thick covering of greying clouds. They stood in silence then and Laurent knew without a shadow of doubt, he could not continue.

He waited months before he decided to act. Wanted to be sure of his decision, as sure as he could be. They were going to spend a few weeks Isthima, taking a break from the stresses of court and celebrating their anniversary and Laurent knew it was time.

Now as a storm began thundering down over the island, Laurent stood over Damen sleeping peacefully, dagger in hand. He moved slowly to sit over Damen and ran a hand gently though Damen’s messy curls, drawing the hand down along his jaw, softly so as not to wake him. His other hand lifted the dagger and swiftly stabbed down, where Laurent knew would be Damen’s end.

Laurent worried there would be screaming, anger, hatred. He braced himself for a fight as Damen gasped awake already coughing on his own blood, eyes shooting open looking for his attacker. A moment of confusion, Damen looked at the knife buried deeply into his chest, then the hand attached. His head swayed as he turned to look Laurent in the eyes.

“Ah..” Damen coughed again, more blood pooling in his mouth, “it’s okay my love…, no tears now…” he struggled to sit up, gasping in pain. Laurent released the knife leaving it there as Damen reached out to gently cup Laurent’s jaw and wipe the tears now streaking down his face. He took his time as his blood began to pool and stain the sheets more and more. “It’s okay…” another retching noise, “I love you,” was all Damen said before he fell back on the pillows and closed his eyes, seeming to relax into acceptance.

The storm raged on, sheets of rain beginning to splash further in the room as Laurent sat by Damen’s side as he died. He set his hands on Damen’s chest, leaning in to leave a final kiss to his forehead before standing up to face the balcony.

The damn Akielon’s and their palaces on cliffs. This one was admittedly less impressive than in Ios but was still beautiful. Laurent walked up to the railing and let the rain wash the blood from his skin. His mind was still peacefully quiet. Vengeance had, he felt accomplished in some ways. In other ways not. He had not expected Damen’s last words to be of acceptance, understanding and love. He didn’t think Damen would have simply allowed himself to be killed.

But Damen had.

Laurent knew what was next. He knew this was coming from the moment he knew he could no longer continue on. He climbed the railing. Something Damen had briefly made him feel he escaped. Something he deemed inevitable in his teen years the Damen had entirely erased.

With Damen gone, Laurent’s peace in part found, he let himself be pushed forward by the wind to find the rest.

**Author's Note:**

> If this made you very sad I recommend reading maybe one of my fluff fics to recover. Chocolatine is a sweet sweet Baker Damen AU! Thank you for reading!


End file.
